Reinforcing pad for container liner



Aug. 11, 1964 A. F. GALLISTEL 3,144,188

REINFORCING PAD FOR CONTAINER LINER Filed Aug. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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Aug. 11, 1964 A. F. GALLISTEL REINFORCING PAD FOR CONTAINER LINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1962 INVENTOR A/berf E Gal/:sfe/

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,144,188 REINFORCING PAD FUR CONTAINER LINER Albert E. Gallistel, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Aug. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 218,647 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) This invention relates to an improvement in reinforcing pad for container liner and deals particularly with a rigid pad structure which may be used to reinforce the ends or a relatively flexible container liner usually employed for containing liquids or semi-liquids.

With the development of films and coatings capable of withstanding liquids of various types, the packaging of liquid products in paperboard containers has increased. Containers of this type have the advantage of requiring less storage space than cylindrical cans or glass bottles and are usually considerably less expensive. Furthermore, they have the advantage of being more readily disposable after use.

In many instances, such containers comprise containers of relatively thin and flexible paperboard either coated to provide a moisture impervious film or else laminated to such a film. Such liners have the advantage of being readily heat sealable so that the contents may be permanently sealed within the liner. In order to support the liner, an outer container of corrugated board, fibre or the like is provided which holds the liner in its desired form. To further reinforce the containers, and to maintain the proper shape of the liners within the outer container, reinforcing pads are often employed overlying the top and bottom closure of the liners. When the liners are sealed in the form of a bag, the corners of the liner are formed by generally triangular ears which must be folded over the side walls or end walls of the liner. In preferred form, the reinforcing pad folds between these triangular ears and the container ends, thus holding the container ends in proper rectangular shape.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a pad of the type described which not only extends between the triangular ears and the ends of the liner, but also overlies the ears to further protect the same, and to hold the ears in overlying position.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the upper end of the container showing the reinforcing pad in place just before the container end is closed and sealed.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the liner showing the pad in place thereupon, the outer container being eliminated to simplify the showing.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on a vertical plane transversely through the top of the liner with the reinforcing pad in place, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGUREZ.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the pad is formed.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the pad in folded position.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the folded pad.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view of the flattened bag or liner at the start of the operation.

3,144,138 Patented Aug. 11, 1964 FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of an end of the bag after the bag has been squared up.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing the initial step of inserting the reinforcing pad in position.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 but showing the triangular ears folded inwardly over the end of the liner.

FIGURE 11 shows a subsequent step in the attachment of the pad to the liner.

The outer container A is not shown in great detail, as the specific form of container forms no part of the pres- .ent invention. The container A is shown as having front and rear Walls such as lit, and parallel side walls II, the four walls being secured in tubular relation in the usual manner. Side wall closing flaps I2 are hinged to the ends of the front and rear wall and closing flaps 13 are hingedly connected to the side walls 11, the flaps being foldable in superposed relation to form the top and bottom container closures.

The bag or liner B which is used within the container A is not in itself novel in the present application, but is shown in view of the fact that the reinforcing pad C is designed for use for the type of liner illustrated. The liner B comprises a generally rectangular sheet of relatively thin and flexible paperboard having a coating or film or heat sealable material on one surface thereof, this surface forming the interior of the liner. The rectangular sheet is centrally folded as indicated at 14 to provide two similar contiguous panels in superposed relation. Each panel is creased to provide a rectangular face panel l5 which may be the front or rear panel of the liner. The panel 15 is foldably connected along parallel fold lines to and I! to side wall panel sections 19 and 20, respectively. The remaining edges of the rectangular panel 15 are connected along fold lines 21 and 22 to end wall sections 23. The end wall sections 23 are foldab ly connected along parallel fold lines 24 to marginal seam forming flanges 25. The side Wall section 19 is also foldably connected along a fold line 26 parallel to the fold lines 16 and 1'7 to marginal seam forming flanges 27.

The side walls 19 and 25 are connected to the end wall sections 23 by rectangular corner portions, the corner portions connecting the side wall 19 and the end walls 23 being designated by the numeral 29, and the rectangular corner portions connecting the side walls 26 to the end wall sections 23 being indicated at Stl. Diagonal fold lines 31 divide the rectangular areas 2% into two equal triangular sections, the diagonal lines emanating at 45 degrees from the junctures between the fold line 16 and the fold lines 21 and 22. The rectangular areas 3@ are also divided into two equal triangular sections by means of diagonal fold lines 312 which emanate at forty-five degree angle from the juncture of the fold line 17 and the fold lines 21 and 22. The flanges 25 and 27 continue along the edges of the rectangular areas 29 and 3t including the corners 33 Where the flanges 25 join the flanges 27. The diagonal fold lines 31 extend across these corner portions 33.

When the liner is in the flat form illustrated, the marginal edges of the liner are sealed together along two adjoining edges. For example, the flanges 25 along the lower edges of the superimposed panels are sealed together as well as the adjoining flanges 27. Thus a bag is formed which has a closed bottom and closed sides, and

a r a the top remains open for filling. When the carton is set up, it is folded into the condition illustrated in FIG- URES 811 of the drawings, the side wall sections 19 and 20 of the two panels folding into common planes, and the end wall sections 23 at the sealed end of the liner also folding into a common plane. During this operation, the panels also fold along the diagonal fold lines 31 and 32 so as to provide generally triangular cars which may be indicated by the numerals 34 and 35. After the liner has been placed into its outer container and filled, the end walls 23 forming the top of the container are folded down into a common plane, and the flanges 25 of the two panels are heat sealed together to completely close the liner. This folding operation also forms a second pair of triangular ears 34 and 35. As both ends of the liner are similar, FIGURES 8-11 may represent the closing of either liner end.

The reinforcing pad C includes a rectangular panel 36 which is of approximately the same dimensions as the ends of the liner. A flange 37 is foldably connected along one edge of the panel 36 along a cut score line 39, the flange 37 being of a width equal to approximately onehalf the width of the panel 36. A second flange 40 is hingedly conected to the side of the panel 36 opposite the flange 37 along a cut score line 41. The flange 40 is also of a width substantially equal to one-half the width of the panel 36.

The reinforcing pad is used as is best illustrated in FIGURES 8l1 of the drawings. When the liner is squared up, so that the side walls 19 are in a common plane, and the side walls 20 are also in a common parallel plane, the end wall sections 23 will also fold into a common plane with the rectangular sections 29 and 30 folding along the diagonal fold lines 31 and 32 to form the triangular flaps or ears 34 and 35. The liner is then in a position illustrated in FIGURE 8. The flange 37 of the pad C is then inserted between the marginal flanges forming the seams 25, this flap then overlying one end wall section 23 to lie contiguous therewith. The ears 34 and 35 are then folded inwardly to overlie the ends of the flange 37 and the end wall sections 23 as indicated in FIGURE 10 of the drawings. Usually these ears 34 and 35 are folded inwardly at the same time that the remainder of the pad C is folded along the fold line 39 so that the central panel 36 of the pad will extend over the folded cars 34 and 35 to hold them in place.

As a final step of the operation, the flange 40 is folded along the fold line 41 to extend downwardly from the central panel 36 as indicated in FIGURE 11 of the drawings, the free edge of the flange 40 being folded down against the liner end wall outwardly of the ears 34 as is indicated in FIGURE 11 of the drawings. As the center panel 36 is folded down against the end of the liner, the flange 40 slides beneath the ears 34 and 35 until the reinforcing pad is parallel with the end of the liner.

During this attachment of the pad, the ears are flexed to some extent so that once the flange 40 is in place, the pad is effectively locked in position. This locking operation is made effective by the fact that the fold lines 39 and 41 are cut score lines which deaden the paperboard along the folds so that the tendency of the pad to return to a common plane is eliminated.

The attachment of the reinforcing pad to the upper end of the liner is accomplished in the same manner. The liner is preferably placed in the outer container A for reinforcement, and the contents are inserted into the liner. The top of the liner is folded down generally into the position illustrated in FIGURE 8, but with the sealing margins 25 usually extending upwardly until they are sealed together whereupon these sealing flanges are folded down into the position shown in FIGURE 8.

has been made to set forth the best embodiment thereof, it should be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A reinforcing pad for use with a rectangular container liner having two similar sides connected together along a marginal seam extending centrally across two parallel ends and an adjoining side wall, the ends and side walls being connected by generally triangular ears at the corners of the liner, the pad including,

a rectangular central panel substantially equal in size and shape to the ends of the liner,

a flange hingedly connected to one edge of said central panel and adapted to overlie one-half of a liner end and between the marginal seam and the liner end wall, and

a flange hingedly connected to the edge of said central panel opposite said one edge and adapted to overlie the remaining area of said liner end wall.

2. A container liner including,

two rectangular panels connected along a line of hinge,

a marginal seam connecting the remaining three edges,

said panels being creased to provide two opposed rectangular face panels, two side wall panels connected along said line of hinge, two opposed side wall panels connected along said seam, two end wall panels at each end of said face panel connected along said seam and four generally triangular flaps connecting said side wall panels to said end wall panels,

a reinforcing pad for a liner end including, 1

a central panel substantially equal in area and shape t a pair of said end wall panels connected along said seam,

a flange substantially equal in area to one of said connected end wall panels foldably connected to an edge ofsaid central panel and folded beneath said seam and overlying said one end wall panel in face contact therewith,

a second flange substantially equal in area and shape to the other of said connected end wall panels and foldably connected to the edge of said central panel opposite said one edge and overlying said other end wall panel in face contact therewith,

said triangular flaps being sandwiched between said central panel and said flanges.

3. The structure of claim 2 and including a similar reinforcing pad extending along the other end of said liner.

4. A reinforcing pad for use in conjunction with a container liner, the liner including,

a rectangular body having parallel face walls, parallel side walls and parallel end walls connecting the edges of said face walls, and generally triangular corner flaps connecting the adjoining edges of the side and end walls,

the reinforcing pad including a central panel substantially similar in area and shape to an end wall, and

a pair of flanges foldably connected to opposed parallel edges of said control panel and being of a length not exceeding one half the width of said central panel between said fold lines,

said flanges being folded to underlie said central panel and in face contact with one end wall of said liner,

said triangular flaps adjoining said one end wall being folded between said flanges and said central panel.

5. A reinforcing pad for use in conjunction with a container liner, the liner including,

a rectangular body having parallel face walls, parallel side walls and parallel end walls connecting the edges of said face walls, and generally triangular corner flaps connecting the adjoining edges of the side and end walls,

the reinforcing pad including a central panel substantially similar in area and shape to an end wall, and

a pair of flanges foldably connected to parallel edges of said central panel and of a combined length not exceeding the Width of said central panel between said parallel edges,

said flanges being folded to underlie said central panel and in face contact with one end Wall of said liner,

said triangular flaps adjoining said one end Wall extending between said flanges and said central panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 15, 1960 

1. A REINFORCING PAD FOR USE WITH A RECTANGULAR CONTAINER LINER HAVING TWO SIMILAR SIDES CONNECTED TOGETHER ALONG A MARGINAL SEAM EXTENDING CENTRALLY ACROSS TWO PARALLEL ENDS AND AN ADJOINING SIDE WALL, THE ENDS AND SIDE WALLS BEING CONNECTED BY GENERALLY TRIANGULAR EARS AT THE CORNERS OF THE LINER, THE PAD INCLUDING, A RECTANGULAR CENTRAL PANEL SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO THE ENDS OF THE LINER, A FLANGE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO ONE EDGE OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE ONE-HALF OF A LINER END AND BETWEEN THE MARGINAL SEAM AND THE LINER END WALL, AND A FLANGE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE EDGE OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL OPPOSITE SAID ONE EDGE AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE REMAINING AREA OF SAID LINER END WALL. 